This invention relates to a spark-ignited engine and, more particularly, to a very high-efficiency, spark-ignited alcohol engine.
Automotive engine efficiency improvements are, obviously, important in meeting the energy needs of the world. Alcohols, such as ethanol and methanol, are known to provide strong knock suppression in gasoline engines by virtue of the intrinsic octane of alcohol fuel along with the effect of evaporative cooling thereby allowing higher compression ratios resulting in higher efficiency. Engines running on alcohol alone are also known.
It is also known that alcohols can be reformed into hydrogen-rich gas for use as a fuel in spark-ignited engines.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alcohol engine having an efficiency 15-25% higher than a high-efficiency diesel engine, and 40-55% more efficient than a naturally-aspirated port fuel-injected gasoline engine.